Scribbles and Scrambles - Party Globe Pat

Grandma turned 90. That's pretty huge, even though she's not old enough to be on whichever morning show celebrates centenarians.

What do you do for a 90 year old who has either had everything she's ever wanted, or doesn't want to go there at this point in her life?

You have a party.

Since Rob tore down our kitchen wall turning our kitchen area into a KITCHEN AREA, we decided that we were the likely place to be able to tuck 40-plus people into a cozy atmosphere.

Pat came to decorate. It's been awhile since I picked on Pat. So you may have forgotten that he has a flair all his own, and a certain way to do things. However, I wasn't surprised to see my dad, (Pat) hauling in large plastic bags three nights before the party.

"Whatcha got?" I asked.

Now not only is Pat full of flair, he can't pass up a screamingly good bargain. He grinned. "Well, all the Christmas stuff is dirt cheap and look what I found." He reached into a bag and pulled out a set of three orbs in red, green and blue, each the size of a mammoth grapefruit.

"Cool." I said. "Maybe we could put them on the studs in front of the window." I've grown used to the bare stud look. I actually find it attractive in a primitive way.

Pat grinned. "Oh, I have a few of them. I thought we could put them on the ceiling."

Pat is precise, and our outlets were limited. But after two hours my ceiling looked an awful lot like a really anal-retentive prom decorating committee had come through and left their mark.

So, that was a full three months ago. Guess what's still hanging in my kitchen? And guess who still plugs them in on occasion? Ya know, sometimes life just demands party globes.

Super Cinema Saturday ~ Lars and the Real Girl

Watch Lars once to marvel at the storytelling, the acting and the heart of this film. Watch it over and over again to absorb the charm, the quirk and life-altering love. At least that's my plan.

I adore films where ordinary and slightly broken people stretch and grow into someone inspiring and beautiful. This is that story, and not just one character inspires, several rise to the opportunity to become better versions of themselves.

Lars is damaged. His childhood was a shadow of what it should have been. Instead of love and nurture, he received a grieving husk of a parent. But the adult Lars is okay as a loner. Functional even. Until circumstances invade his tranquility and suddenly he's forced back into some of those dark places, back into grief and fear. But instead of dealing with those issues like most of us do, he comes up with a creative way to reach out to his arm's length friends and family. He invents a soul mate. Unfortunately, she's not invisible like a child might conjure up. "Bianca" is bigger than life in most definitions of the word.

Lars' quirky support system rallies around, choosing to make his delusion theirs. Bianca, a missionary from Brazil, here to meet Lars, her Internet love, is embraced and becomes a popular citizen. Gosling gives a stellar performance as he runs through the emotional gamut of a stunted man who has tucked life away into a spot where he is not going to be hurt and where he will not find love, the thing he needs the most.

The story unfolds as the townspeople reach out to Lars and Bianca while Lars tries to find his way out of his self-imposed prison cell.

One warning -- Bianca is a "doll" from an adult website and her original purpose isn't to help a young man find emotional healing. There are some sex/anatomy jokes, a little sophomoric humor, and "build your own girl" visuals from the website. Surprisingly, the ick factor is low and Lars and his brother are very respectful of Bianca and its obvious that Lars and Biancas' relationship is "chaste." But if you are sensitive, keep that in mind.

Others may not like the open ending. Several details are not explained. We are given clues to the reason for Lars' brokenness and why he is breaking at this point in his life. The ending is open, too. The pace is also slow. We're talking a character piece and most of those don't have a lot of intense action. I'm drawn to British/Irish films, and Lars feels very much like a Brit film. About a Boy is one of my favorites. I Am Sam is another film that comes to mind because of the complex, and real characters.

Bottom line, you won't like this film if you don't want to think. You won't like it if you have to have a lot of fast-moving action. But if you delight in characters and stories of humanity in its messiest and most beautiful moments, you owe it to yourself to check out Lars. As for me, Lars will be added to my all-time favorite movie list.

Serials and Scenarios - Well, Melanie!

Sarcasm is a highly appreciated at the dregs. Start shoveling it, Melanie. And thanks for visiting.


If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

I’d love to know what Elvis was thinking with the big sideburns and the white jumpsuit and all that fried-peanut-butter-and-banana weight he put on. I mean, really. Do you think he foresaw that he’d be immortalized if only he dressed like that and topped it off with a pair of gold-framed sunglasses and sang in VEGAS of all places? The man was a ground-breaking musician. I mean, before the Beatles, there was Elvis and before Elvis, there was… nothing. How could he let himself become a cartoon? I intend to ask him that when I get to heaven. He’s probably eating fried chicken and playing poker with my grandmother right now. She can’t bluff, though. He’ll win.

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

So many to choose from…

There’s a scene in Apollo 13 where the astronauts are up in LEM (that’s the little vehicle that was supposed to land on the moon, for you Apollo 13 rookies) because Odyssey (the one they’re supposed to be in while they’re flying around in space) has had an explosion. They’re running out of oxygen because their carbon dioxide filters are saturated. So they have to create a new filter out of the stuff they have with them in space. The engineers on the ground come up with a procedure (that’s a great scene, too, by the way - all engineers love this movie because for once they get to be the heroes) and they build the thing and tape it onto the dealy whopper and then watch the gauge to see if the filter is working. If it doesn’t, of course, they’re going to run out of air and die.

Tom Hanks, who plays Jim Lovell, turns to the other two astronauts, who are both unconsciously holding their breath. He laughs and says, “Just breathe normal, guys.” Which is a GREAT line, because of course, there’s no point in their holding their breath. They have to breathe – to take up a certain amount of oxygen – just because they’re alive.

It’s a great metaphor. I use it all the time to explain to women – who have a tendency to shrink and disappear in a relationship – that they’re entitled to the same amount of oxygen as anyone else in the room. In fact, they really can’t hold their breath forever anyway. So why not just exhale and take in some air?


If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

Um, I think I just did. My Soul to Keep? If your readers will just get on the stick, I’ll be in New York Times heaven in no time…


Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

My friend Kenny Cook – Kenny-baby to me, K.L. Cook in the literary world - who is an award-winning author of literary fiction and also teaches creative writing at a college in Arizona, has blurbed all my books for me. It’s a big fat favor since he’s such a big shot and I write commercial fiction.

I’ve known Kenny forever – we were in the same high school English class. (My grades were WAY better, by the way). He’s got four kids (I have none) and is an extraordinary writer. His prose is gripping. He wrote this blurb for My Soul to Keep:

My Soul to Keep, the third and best Dylan Foster thriller, again demonstrates Melanie Wells’s wit, intelligence, and knack for telling a swiftly paced, complex story. Through a wonderful network of plots and subplots—and the ruminations of the ever-complicated Dr. Foster—the novel reveals the helplessness and fierce love at the heart of parenting, as well as the way that each of us is responsible for children, our own and others. Wells takes kids seriously—their fears, their vulnerabilities, their spiritual wisdom and resiliency. Written with passion, a good dose of humor and, dare I say it, soul, this novel reminds us that we all, with grace and good fortune, bumble our way towards salvation.

I called him about it – I loved what he wrote so much, because he really GOT what I was doing. He said, “Melanie, honey, my belief is that, as writers, we may think we want praise or criticism, but what we really want is to be understood.”

He is absolutely right. When someone understands your writing, really gets it – there’s nothing like it.


What is your favorite word?

I’m partial to “no” these days. Don’t ask me why, because of course I won’t tell you.


What word annoys you more than any other?

I get irritated when people spiritualize their email signatures. I don’t know why that bugs me so much, but it does. “Because He came near,” is a real winner. I saw that one recently and wanted to smack someone. I should probably go to therapy.


Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

Misuse of apostrophe’s

Serials and Scenarios - Do Hard Things

Adults! Do you feel ambivalent or frightened about the generation of youth that will be managing and steering our country over the next several decades? Keep reading. You will be challenged and encouraged. Wisdom and courage aren't attached to an age. Callie, my fabulous "niece," has written a short review after the summary. (Click on the book cover to go to Amazon. Their website.)

Summary:

With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.

Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.

Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

Callie's Thoughts:

Most books we read are for entertainment, to hear a nice story, or to pass some time.

That’s not the case with Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris. It’s conviction, encouraging, and challenging. One thing that caught my attention was their emphasis on avoiding complacency. Throughout the book they stress the importance of not being satisfied with how things are, but to always, always reach higher. They blatantly state that when they say, “A commitment to growth kills complacency.”

They do a stellar job describing tough subjects for a younger audience. Use of stories and analogies help a young person get a grasp of what’s being said.

Overall, I loved Do Hard Things. It gives practical application, which, if carried out, would severely change our generation for the better.

Serials and Scenarios - My Soul to Keep

Click on the book cover to visit Amazon's My Soul to Keep page for more reviews. Click on Melanie's cute little face to visit her website.

Here's my review. Come back Friday for Melanie's answers to the dreg questions. Fans of sarcasm will find much to enjoy....

My Soul to Keep

Melanie Wells grabbed me with the unique voice and kept me riveted as she drove me through a story that couldn't possibly end well. A primarily first-person dive into broken hearts, love lost and never found, hope, healing and horror, a plunge that kept me turning pages until the satisfying end.

I've not read her previous works so this was my first visit into Dylan Foster's head and Peter Terry's bizarre antics.

The subject matter is tough. An abducted child and another child traumatized, more sensitive readers may not be able to handle some of the intensity though there is a surprising and clean resolution.

Wells covers some obscure teaching on guardian angels in an engaging manner. Once again, a warning, those who don't do speculative fiction with Biblical stretching might want to pass, as well as those readers who struggle with characters who are working toward holiness but haven't progressed to looking like they've attained it. So what I'm saying is, her characters are as real as those you might go to church or work with, you know, the ones will all the warts and issues. I'm not even going to mention that I may see something of Wells' characters in my own mirror.

When I wasn't struggling with the horror of child abduction and clues with dead ends, I found myself cheering Dylan on in her secondary battle, the one with faith.

Serials and Scenarios - Someday, Karen Kingsbury Drops In.

Karen Kingsbury dropped by the Dregs recently. Thanks, Karen, for the visit and your thought provoking words. Visit her website by clicking on her picture and the Amazon page by clicking on Someday, and here to read my review.

What makes you feel alive?

I feel alive when I'm with my family, when I'm outside playing Frisbee with my boys or in our boat on the lake, in awe of God's beauty all around us.

How does something worm its way into your heart?
Through tears, truth, humor or other?

Tears are often the way God conveys a story to me. I'll be reading an article or watching a film, and find myself moved to tears. That'll start me thinking . . . what was it about that story that so touched me? And how could that same emotion play a part in a story? And often at that point God will make a storyline very vividly clear to me.

Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.

On a long trip, I'd take the Bible, and a CD mix with Chris Tomlin and Casting Crowns. I'd take my husband and kids, flax-seed bars, salmon, and green iced tea.

Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood, somewhere else? – and why.

The beach. A long stretch of white sand, clear blue-green water, a notepad so I can capture what God is placing on my heart, my family around me, and a glass of green iced tea.

Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

I hear on a regular basis that my books have changed peoples lives. That's why I trademarked my fiction Life-Changing Fiction (TM). No matter how many times I hear that, I never get tired of it. It's unbelievable to think that God is so creative, giving me a story and then using it to change someone's heart, to help them have a stronger marriage or a closer walk with the Lord. That is always my favorite reader comment.

What criticism has cut the deepest and why?

I once had a reader write to me and say that she was no longer a fan, because I've taken to writing too many books, and sacrificed my love for God and my family. That letter left me in tears, literally, because it isn't true. My family and faith will always come first. The letter was still on the screen when my daughter walked by and saw me crying. She read the letter, and later - without my permission - she wrote back to the woman and told her basically, "How dare you criticize my mom. You don't know her or us, and she's the most amazing mom ever." I told her she shouldn't have written back to the woman. But at the same time, her love for me and her response that day was something I'll never, ever forget.

What is your favorite word?

Redemption. I love the sound of it, the meaning of it, and the fact that all of life hinges on it.

Scribble and Scrambles - Flying Toasters

You know how it is...you wake up early in the morning planning on going about your business and getting your ducks in a row. Only one more step before you slip out the door and head to work.

You slide two Pop-tarts into the slots.

The LAST Pop-tarts.

Now this particular toaster has maybe been in the family for a few years. Occasionally there is a little flare-up within the workings of the toaster.

One could consider it temperamental, others might just call it acting up.

A new toaster rests in a cupboard awaiting the iffy toaster's imminent demise.

But certain family members can't quite bring it upon themselves to get rid of a perfectly good toaster. The issues are rare, really, and what's a burnt piece of toast in the scheme of things? Especially when there are two hounds who would consider overly browned bread a treat.

Enter the Pop-tarts. Did I mention they were strawberry?

So, have you ever seen a toaster fly?

The new one is working great.

Hope you have a perfect Pop-tart day.